1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to carriers for transporting containers, and particularly relates to carriers for transporting filled drinking cups.
2. Prior Art
There are numerous carriers currently available for supporting and transporting drinking cups. Some of the carriers comprise a tray having holes sized to fit the bottom of a particular size cup. Other configurations include a bottom upon which the cup rests and a raised platform having holes through which the cup is inserted in a manner to rest on the bottom. These known containers provide only limited lateral support for cups being carried or otherwise transported, for example in an automobile, or while the cups are sitting on a seat or on the floor.
Other carrier configurations include some type of frame that engages the periphery of the cup and/or the cup lip, thereby suspending the cup from the lip. These particular types of configurations may also have a tray-like flat bottom.
A principal problem inherent in existing container carriers is that they do not support filled cups adequately, and are not adaptable to support different numbers of cups. If such carriers are filled with the maximum number of cups for which they are designed, they may be relatively stable. However, if fewer than the maximum number of cups for the particular design are placed in the container carrier for transporting, such carrier stability is frequently lost. These particular types of tray/frame devices are also frequently difficult to carry, requiring both hands of the user, and often still twisting or bending so as to tip or otherwise spill one or more of the filled cups.
Container carriers are provided with takeout food and drink orders in fast-food type restaurants, movie theaters, etc. For this reason, such carriers must be easy to use and inexpensive to manufacture. Consequently, carriers are often made of a thin cardboard material, and therefore are able to accommodate only a very limited weight load.
Finally, many container carriers are made in several sections and require an attendant to assemble them prior to use. Additionally, the different sections of the carriers occupy valuable space that may be better utilized for other purposes. Therefore, bulky or otherwise multiple-section container carriers are difficult to store at a drink counter where they are most needed.